Lipstick cartridge



April 30, 1968 R. GRUSKA 3,380,795

LIPSTICK CARTRIDGE Filed April a, 1966 United States Patent O 3,380,795 LIPSTICK CARTRIDGE Ralph Gruska, Creteil, France, assignor to Cope Allman Export S.A., Geneva, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Apr. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 541,277v Claims priority, application France, Aug. 24, 1965,

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lipstick cartridge comprising a 4hollow sleeve mem- -ber in which a lipstick paste containing cup is guided during movement to expose the lipstick paste or to enclose it `within the sleeve member; the external diameter of the cup is substantially smaller than the internal dia-meter of the sleeve member so that sufficient radial clearance is provided between the cup and sleeve in order to prevent binding of the cup or damage to the lipstick paste during movement of the cup; the bottom of the cup is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced elastically deformable downwardly directed guide members and the upper end of the cup is provided with a circumferential guide shoulder that is divided about its periphery by slots.

The present invention has reference to an improved lipstick cartridge incorporating a lipstick cup for receipt of the lipstick or lipstick paste which is displaceably guided for lengthwise movement in a hollow sleeve member and is adjustable by means of a feed mechanism.

With known lipstick cartridges equipped with a feed mechanism, displacement of the lipstick cup in the lengthwise direction takes place within an inner sleeve provided with longitudinal grooves, these grooves being engaged by pins or cams provided at the lipstick cup and which also engage with a spiral groove means arranged at the inner wall of an outer sleeve member. Rotation of the outer sleeve member relative to the inner sleeve member causes displacement of the lipstick cup.

The lipstick cup which moves within the inner sleeve member must, of course, be capable of being easily displaced. On the other hand, practically no play should exist between the lipstick cup and the inner sleeve ymember in order to prevent the lipstick paste held by the lipstick cup from wiping against the inner wall of the inner sleeve member due to any eccentricity of the lipstick cup and which would result in damage of the lipstick paste, Likewise, the danger exists that not only with a tight seating of the lipstick cup in the inner sleeve member, but also with too large play, there results binding of such lipstick cup, rendering the feed mechanism ineiectual. This problem is especially present when lipstick cup and the sleeve members are formed of plastic, in which case the danger of eroding of the guide surfaces with too little play exists. It has been found that, notwithstanding relatively great accuracy of the parts produced during the injection molding process, there must be intentionally provided relatively large play due to the subsequently appearing non-circularity and so forth, so that `there is ensured for the movability of the lipstick cup in the inner sleeve member. In any event, there must be reckoned with the previously mentioned irregular movement of the lipstick cup as well as `an eventual wedging within the inner sleeve member and also damaging of the lipstick paste itself.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved lipstick cartridge by means of which the aforementioned disadvantages are effectively overcome.

Another, more specific object of this invention relates to an improved lipstick cartridge wherein guiding of the ice lipstick paste-carrying cup is undertaken in a manner ensuring against the binding of the lipstick cup and damage of the lipstick paste.

The lipstick cartridge of the present invention is characterized lby the features that the lipstick cup possesses an outer diameter providing a radial clearance or play with respect to the inner diameter of the sleeve member and exhibits elastically deformable guide means which .protrude in radial direction past the outer diameter of the lipstick cup, and wherein such guide means press against the :inner wall of said sleeve member and ensure for movement of said lipstick cup therein free of play.

Due to the provision of elastic guide means at the lipstick cup, there is ensured that the latter has imparted to it a compact seating within the sleeve member, notwithstanding its play in such sleeve member, and that such lipstick cup can be displaced with uniform force throughout the entire displacement stroke.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional vfew of a preferred embodiment of inventive lipstick cartridge; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the lipstick cup used in the lipstick cartridge arrangement of FIG- URE 1.

Describing now the drawing, reference numeral 1 designates the base portion of an inner hollow sleeve member 2, wherein the upright body portion 2a of which possesses a smaller external diameter than that of the neighboring base portion 1. At the Wall of the inner sleeve member 2 and at diametrically opposed locations there are provided guide grooves 3 extending in axial direction. Two pins or cams 5 provided at the cylindrical outer surface of a lipstick cup 4 engage with these guide grooves 3- and extend into spiral groove means 6 formed at the inner wall of an outer sleeve member 7. This outer sleeve member 7 extends throughout the entire length of the body portion 2a of the sleeve member 2 which is of reduced diameter with respect to the base portion 1. If desired, a metal jacket or covering 8 can be placed upon the outer sleeve member 7 in order to make such more attractive in appearance. Base portion 1 is obturated by a floor portion 9 which, at the same time, forms a stop-surface for the lipstick cup 4 in its retracted position.

As clearly seen by inspecting the drawing, the outer Wall 10 of the lipstick cup 4 receiving the lipstick or lipstick paste S possesses an external diameter which provides a certain play or clearance with regard to the inner diameter of the inner wall 11 of the inner sleeve member 2. The spacing between lipstick cup 4 and inner sleeve member 2 defining the afore-mentioned clearance or play is designated by reference character 11a.

It will further be recognized that this lipstick cup 4 is provided at its ring-shaped floor portion 12 with a crown of downwardly depending or directed flap members 13 extending parallel to the axis of the lipstick cup 4 and substantially uniformly distributed about its circumference. In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, eight such ap members are assumed to be provided wherein four of them carry at each of their respective free end a rib member 14 which is radially outwardly directed and bears under pressure against the inner wall 11 of the inner sleeve member 2. This pressure is produced by a small elastic deformation of the ilap members 13 carrying the rib members 14, and is realized in that the diameter of the rib members, specifically the diameter defined between two diametrically opposed rib members, and with the lap members 13 in tensionless or unloaded state, is made larger than that of the inner wall 11. To state this another way, the guiding means for the lipstick cup 4 include the protruding rib members 14 which project past the outer diameter of such lipstick cup, whereby the guiding means possess a diameter larger than that of said cup. When the lipstick -cup 4 is pushed into the inner sleeve member 2, a slight deformation of the flap members 13 takes place so that the rib members 14 assume the diameter of the inner wall 11 of the sleeve member 2.

By virtue of the pressure towards the outside exerted by the elastic deformed flap members 13, there results a compact or tight guiding of the lipstick cup 4 Within the inner sleeve member 2, notwithstanding the available play or clearance 11a between the cylindrical portion of the lipstick cup 4 and the inner wall 11 of sleeve member 2.

Insofar as desired, the possibility also exists of providing the upper end of the lipstick cup 4 at the region of the opening receiving lipstick paste S with a shoulder 15. The latter extends radially outwards and is divided about its circumference by means of axial notches or slots 16. The resulting shoulder sections or tongues 16a are therefore likewise slightly resilient and in consequence of their bearing against the inner wall 11 of the sleeve member 2 they prevent a tilting or binding of the lipstick cup 4 in the inner sleeve 2. In lieu of the depicted crown of tongues 16a there could also be provide-d tine ribs or tins at the upper open end of the lipstick cup 4 and which extend in axial direction for instance, at the surface thereof.

With the depicted form of the lipstick cup 4, such can be injection molded from plastic without any subsequent finishing operations, as can also the sleeve members 2 and 7. The manufacturing tolerances can lthus not have any harmful effects upon the displaceability of the lipstick cup.

While there is shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practised within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lipstick cartridge comprising a hollow sleeve member, a lipstick cup capable of receiving lipstick paste guided for lengthwise movement within said hollow sleeve member, feed mechanism for displacing said lipstick cup, said lipstick cup having an outer wall possessing an exte nal diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the inner wall of said hollow sleeve member so that there results between said lipstick -cup and hollow sleeve member radial clearance, guide means projecting radially past the outer Wall of said lipstick cup and elastically deformable 4 in radial direction, said guide means bearing against the inner wall of said 'hollow sleeve member to ensure that said lipstick cup moves free of play within said hollow sleeve member and including a plurality of ap members distributed about t-he circumference of the floor of said lipstick cup and depending therefrom in substantial parallelism with the lengthwise axis of said lipstick cup.

2. A lipstick cartridge as defined in claim 1, wherein said lipstick cup includes an open end through which there is inserted the lipstick paste, centering means provided at the open end of said lipstick cup.

3. A lipstick cartridge as defined in claim 2, said centering means including a plurality of radially outwardly directed, circumferentially distributed and spaced tongue members.

4. A lipstick cartridge comprising a hollow sleeve member, a lipstick cup capable of receiving lipstick paste guided for lengthwise movement within said hollow sleeve member, feed mechanism for displacing said lipstick cup, said lipstick cup having an outer wall possessing an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the inner wall of said hollow sleeve member so that there results between said lipstick cup and hollow sleeve member radial clearance, guide means projecting radially past the outer wall of said lipstick cup and elastically deformable in radial direction, said guide means bearing against the inner wall of said hollow sleeve member Ato ensure that said lipstick cup moves free of play within said hollow sleeve member and including ilap members provided at said lipstick cup and arranged to form a crown, at least two of said flap members being provided at their free ends with radi-ally outwardly directed rib means, whereby said two flap members together with said radially outwardly directed rib means form said projecting guide means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,780,508 11/ 1930 Schulse 206-56 1,849,531 3/1932 Lyhne 206-56 2,332,147 10/ 1943 Holihan 20S-56 3,124,245 3/ 1964 Hopgood 206-56 FOREIGN PATENTS 106,342 1/ 1939 Australia. 1,193,220 4/ 1959 France.

MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner. 

